Whence Came the Everpool

[thaen]

Okay, so this isn't my epic poem. But it's a start along that road. I'm going to be following in the footsteps of Micamo and those she inspired, and post short stories. However, they will differ in that they, as far as I can tell, will be in more narrative form.
The title of this thread is probably opaque; the title comes from the title of the first story I will post, but along the way I realized that I don't think the story will have anything to do with the Everpool! Ah, such is the way writing goes, more oft than not.
Without further ado, and no more gilding the lily, I'll get on with it.

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Long ago, before the gods had faded west and the Young races came to our land, before the Great Betrayal, a young woodsman lived in the North Forest. Every day, he went out and felled a tree; then he would chop it into many pieces. Some, he would keep for himself; the rest, he would load in a large cart. Whenever the cart was full, he would rest his ax for a day and take the cart into the nearest city, Mahalalh, and sell his wood. Some bought the wood for firelogs, others for carving, and others bought it to take to other cities.

On one of his trips into the city he saw a young maid, girded about with a sapphire sash, who passed across the street, and saw him not. Upon returning to his home in the forest, he found he could not put the maiden from his mind. Soon, he returned to Mahalalh, without his cart, to seek out the woman he had seen. He inquired everywhere he could, but to no avail; no one knew of whom he spoke. Then as the sun began to settle into its mountain crib, he asked the owner of a small tavern on the farthest edge of the city. The owner knew indeed of the maid the woodsman sought; she had stayed only a few days, then set out along the south road alone the day he had last come to sell his wood. Elated,, the woodsman spread his wings and flew south, searching for the maiden with the blue sash. But soon, the sun had gone to bed entirely, and he returned to the city, torn between his head and his heart.

He slept fitfully, and awoke with the sun. He rushed back to his home and loaded his belongings into his cart. Then he once again when to the city and sold all he had, even at half its value, save his ax. He bought a horse more suitable for travel and set out immediately after the maiden with the blue sash. He rode through the night, all the next day, and through the next night. Then he stopped to rest. He awoke at noon to ride again. This time he spurred the horse into a gallop, and soon he came to a new town, where he sold his horse and bought a new one. He ate at an inn and slept for a few hours. When he awoke, he inquired as to whether anyone had seen the maiden with the blue sash. Someone had. She had still traveled south. Without pause, the woodsman saddled his mount and rode south. He was but two days behind her. He rode at full speed until he feared the horse would collapse under him. He grabbed his ax and leapt from his horse into the air. He flew all day and collapsed into sleep. He awoke and took off again. He flew; the sun began its descent when - alas! He saw her from afar: the maiden with the blue sash! He angled towards her and glided down, his muscles straining and his scales feeling as though they would tear from his flesh. He landed beside her, harder than he intended, and was driven to his belly. She flinched, and quickly looked to see what the noise was. The woodsman dragged himself into a passably presentable kneeling postition.
"Who are you?" The maiden asked.
"A woodsman, my lady," he replied, trying not to sound as weak as he felt, but failing.
"Why are you here?"
"I have been searching for you since you left my city, Mahalalh. I saw you there, but I do not think you saw me."
Her face softened, but he did not look up.
"What is your name, then, woodsmen?"
"Name me as you wish, for your voice commands me."
"Why? Why have you sought me? Why do I have your devotion?" But it wasn't skepticism in her voice, but rather a soft curiosity, the veritable sound of innocence.
"Since the day I saw you, my heartstrings have been wound about your ankles, your wrists, your tongue; you have the power to lift me up and tear me down, to fill me and drain me, to heal me or kill me. You have never left my mind since I saw you, and you never will. I know not why you have so entranced me, nor why my heart has leapt into your hands, but I know that without you would be to live in torment. I have sold all I own, save my ax, to find you. I have nothing to return to. You are my present and my future. I beg you to find me acceptable and to treat me kindly, though a slap from your hands would taste sweeter than honey from the comb, and a harsh word than wind. I am yours, wholly and unreservedly; I know not why. But I am, and I plead your favor."
And she said nothing. Then, "Look at me."
He lifted his gaze, and saw tears in her eyes. He started to speak, fearing he had upset her in some way.
"Speak not, woodsman. I have longed to hear such words my whole life. But I never dreamt I would, for I bear a sad truth: I am an acolyte of Valyna; I may never wed nor bear children, not may I be with a man. I know not why you have said such things to me, nor who you are; yet one things I know is that you are sincere. I can always tell when someone would practice deceit, and your heart is pure, my friend. And I know that my heart belongs to you. It is a mystery to me, but I embrace the urging sof my heart. But I am disraught, for I may never be with you. I am returning to the Temple, and I can never shirk my vows."
Tears marked her face.
"My love for you will never wane, though I never see you again. I would die before leading you to break your holy vows, but I will wait for you until we reach the new horizon. In this life I shall devote myself to you and in the next I will live it with you.
"Allow me to accompany you to the Temple, and there I shall build for myself a hut, and stand watch, waiting, longing for the day we may be united."
"It shall be as you say," the maiden said.
And that night the woodsman kept watch under the stars, until daylight, and then he slept as the maiden watched over him.

But this meeting was not unknown to the mighty Foe. In this love he saw great power, and he knew the offspring of the two lovers would be great beyond reckoning. And he contrived to drive apart these two souls, and he sent forth his minions to slay them along the road.

The servants of Valyna saw the evil emissaries from afar, and reported to their lady. And Valyna herself visited the woodsman in a dream, and told him not to fear, that in his moments of need his devotion to the holy vows of her acolyte would manifest itself as he needed it.

And the woodsman awoke refreshed, as though he had slept for a day. He marveled within himself at the strangeness of his dream; who was that blue lady who had visited him? He knew not, and let it soon pass from his mind as for many hours he regaled his beloved maid with tales from his life, bringing forth her gay laughter to grace the flowers of the verdant plains they traversed.

And even as she laughed, she felt her heart fleeing from her breast, binding itself to the woodsman. And she thought of her vows, and of breaking them. Yet she knew that she would not. She was loyal and true, and if her vows to Valyna she shirked, what would keep her from breaking her vows to this fellow years yon? She prayed for strength and fortitude of will.

And a cloud descended darkly.

The minions of the Foe had arrived to carry out their dastardly charge. Captain among them was Aytolle, cruel and proud. His ragged wings and scarred face bespoke of his prowess, and the woodsman feared. The maiden clutched his arm and trembled. Then the woodsman saw a vision: the blue lady from his dream! And she proffered his ax; and, taking it, he lifted it on high, and a bolt of lightning descended from heaven and smote Aytolle upon his breast, and he was scattered. With a thunderclap and roar the woodsman felled the company as a forest, and sowed the soiled earth with their blood.

He sat down upon a boulder, and found he was not besmirched with neither gore nor wounded, and he was clothed with raiment blue and gold, and gilded was his ax. At his feet the maiden fell, and she poured out her thanks.
"By my Lady you have been blessed! By Valyna you are touched! She has chosen you to bear her sigil and colors, and given your potent power. May I ever be in your reach, my savior valiant."
The woodsman, grateful, took the help of the fallen captain and upon a spear mounted it.
"For Valyna, to whom I am indebted. May your favor shine upon me as I guard your maiden fair."
And lightning struck the spear and helm and carried it to the heavens.

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I'm falling asleep, so please excuse any gross grammatical errors on my part. As with the other threads, ask away! I may not reveal some things, but as a whole, I should be able to tell you most anything, since the goal of this is to inform and show my world an its peoples.

[Micamo]

Wouldn't it be more interesting if the Maiden was disgusted by the Woodsman, and rejected him? Then he makes a pact with Valyna (whoever she is) and binds his soul to her to serve as her sacred guardian, and she's stuck with this man she can't stand. You could take the Foe and his minions (whatever they are) out of this story too, at least in this function. The biggest bonus is you avoid the gross "instant love" stuff.

[kanejam]

Wouldn't it be more interesting if the Maiden was disgusted by the Woodsman, and rejected him? Then he makes a pact with Valyna (whoever she is) and binds his soul to her to serve as her sacred guardian, and she's stuck with this man she can't stand. You could take the Foe and his minions (whatever they are) out of this story too, at least in this function. The biggest bonus is you avoid the gross "instant love" stuff.

Umm... To you maybe? This is just the opening scene, I'm sure there'll be plenty of conflict and intrigue to come. I don't mind the instant love at all, this feels Tolkienesque in style (although not Tolkienesque in setting for some reason, despite the sparse details).

[DesEsseintes]

I agree with kanejam that the story feels Tolkien-ish in places.

I'm curious about the race of the Woodsman. He has scales and can fly, right?

[thaen]

Wouldn't it be more interesting if the Maiden was disgusted by the Woodsman, and rejected him? Then he makes a pact with Valyna (whoever she is) and binds his soul to her to serve as her sacred guardian, and she's stuck with this man she can't stand. You could take the Foe and his minions (whatever they are) out of this story too, at least in this function. The biggest bonus is you avoid the gross "instant love" stuff.

More interesting? Maybe. To some, anyways. If anything, it would not go exactly as you described. I do not think the maiden would have been disgusted, though maybe she would have rejected him for other reasons. She hasn't been made cynical by reality yet. She's never really known a man; as a young girl, she was chosen to be an acolyte, and the times she has gone out into the world her sash marked her as an acolyte of Valyna, which afforded her protection, even detachment, from even most thieves and scum. She is innocent at heart, and this man has spoken words she has only dreamed about, knowing that she would never hear them. But his brashness, declaring himself even when they both know that nothing could come of it, spoke of a sincerity and passion rare in life.
So, while this "instant love" may be naive and inadvisable, I'd hope it captures that feeling of "first love," or else first attraction. This is a fantasy world, where true love exists, and, once in a blue moon, true love at first sight does, too. (Something feels off about the grammar of that sentence.)

@Des and kanejam: Thanks! Tolkien was a major inspiration. I do wish the Whole Story to perhaps be a bit darker than the LoTR trilogy, but it'd be hard to make it darker than the Silmarillion; but I'm trying not to compare it too much, as I want my story to be Thaenous, first and foremost, rather than Tolkienesque, though I'd not shirk from that compliment!

I'm curious about the race of the Woodsman. He has scales and can fly, right?

The woodsman and maiden are both Sakyl - Krwx, more specifically. The Krwx are draconic beings, bipedal, scaled, with wings and tail. They fly with the use of an innate magic, which allows their wings to carry them with dexterity and power.

I'll try to have more posted by this evening.

[cntrational]

Insta-love is pretty eh. I disregards the fact that relationships are long and complex, and makes the character seem incredibly shallow for falling in love with a person who they know nothing about. Also implies that it'll lead to a horrible relationship as they step on each others' toes, and eventually break up.

[Micamo]

So what's the Everpool? Where did it come from? Where did it go? Where did you come from, Everpool Joe?

[thaen]

Insta-love is pretty eh. I disregards the fact that relationships are long and complex, and makes the character seem incredibly shallow for falling in love with a person who they know nothing about. Also implies that it'll lead to a horrible relationship as they step on each others' toes, and eventually break up.

I think part of the reason that they fell right into it is that they both knew that nothing could come of it. They would be lovers in spirit only, communicating little, and being in geographical proximity even less. This isn't designed to be an ultra-realistic story, but I do appreciate your input; I will endeavor to ensure that my main characters in the Story (who don't exist for centuries past this tale) have more verisimilitude in their actions. Because I, too, don't really like cheesy stuff. But in my mind, this tale isn't cheesy

So what's the Everpool? Where did it come from? Where did it go? Where did you come from, Everpool Joe?

The Everpool...hmm...I'm not entirely sure. It could be the origin of the Sakyl, their birthplace. It could be a healing Mecca of sorts. Maybe it's just a pretty pool of water, set in a slate quarry, reflecting the heavens. I guess we'll find out some day. Although, if I were to guess, it would seem to have at least some medicinal properties, as attested in this poem, whose author has been lost.

The River of the Mists, it flows
Flows down form the mountains majestic,
Guardians towering great and tall.

The River of the Mists, it roars
Roars along its banks and
Splashes upon the fertile soil.

The River of the Mists, it glides
Glides smoothly amongst the rushes,
hiding the secrets in its bed.

The River of the Mists, it gurgles
Gurgles ‘bout the moss-covered stones
That fill its belly with weight.

The River of the Mists, it becomes
Becomes a vapor, a mist,
As it reaches the Everpool Slab.

The River of the Mists, it feeds
Feeds the Everpool, wherein
All are restored and healed.

Although, to my knowledge, there is no river, nor vegetation, near the Everpool. Could the author have described a subterranean aquifer, and taken artistic license with the whole vegetation and mountains? Who knows.

[elemtilas]

I'm curious about the race of the Woodsman. He has scales and can fly, right?

The woodsman and maiden are both Sakyl - Krwx, more specifically. The Krwx are draconic beings, bipedal, scaled, with wings and tail. They fly with the use of an innate magic, which allows their wings to carry them with dexterity and power.

So, she has wings and can fly as well? Why doesn't she? Or is there a gender dimorphism going on here? I do actually like how you alternated between riding a horse and flying with his own power. Is there a reason why our hero doesn't just leave that first inn and fly at speed towards the blue-sashed girl? Frankly, I'm glad he didn't, but am interested in knowing why sometimes he flies and sometimes must rely on a horse to move around. Does the dexterity and power diminish after a while -- do these folk simply tire of flying?

[thaen]

I'm curious about the race of the Woodsman. He has scales and can fly, right?

The woodsman and maiden are both Sakyl - Krwx, more specifically. The Krwx are draconic beings, bipedal, scaled, with wings and tail. They fly with the use of an innate magic, which allows their wings to carry them with dexterity and power.

So, she has wings and can fly as well? Why doesn't she? Or is there a gender dimorphism going on here? I do actually like how you alternated between riding a horse and flying with his own power. Is there a reason why our hero doesn't just leave that first inn and fly at speed towards the blue-sashed girl? Frankly, I'm glad he didn't, but am interested in knowing why sometimes he flies and sometimes must rely on a horse to move around. Does the dexterity and power diminish after a while -- do these folk simply tire of flying?

Wings and flight ability are not among the sexual dimorphisms. She has wings and can fly. Even with the assistance of magic, flying - especially flying fast - is a strenuous task. With practice, it can be like running, as far as the energy consumed. However, flying fast or performing special maneuvers is much more taxing, which is why he didn't fly the whole way. And since she had a long way to go, a horse was better suited for her needs.
Please, keep asking!

[elemtilas]

Please, keep asking!

You mention the gods fading west. Tell us about the folklore of the directions in Everpool. What is there about the West that you would use that particular set phrase in story telling?

[thaen]

Please, keep asking!

You mention the gods fading west. Tell us about the folklore of the directions in Everpool. What is there about the West that you would use that particular set phrase in story telling?

The West represents the passing of things, especially to, for lack of a better word/concept at this point, heaven. For a while, the gods walked oft among the hitherlands, sharing knowledge and wisdom with the Sakyl and throwing feasts and festivals and contests and the like. After the Great Betrayal, and the coming of the Young Races, the gods realized it was time to depart from the hitherlands, and into the West, the Halls of Xelo.
The East, while not always a negative direction, is the home of the Loes Lands, but before the Great Betrayal, the Far East was the origin of the Young Races, until they came west, to Kormond.

[elemtilas]

Please, keep asking!

You mention the gods fading west. Tell us about the folklore of the directions in Everpool. What is there about the West that you would use that particular set phrase in story telling?

The West represents the passing of things, especially to, for lack of a better word/concept at this point, heaven. For a while, the gods walked oft among the hitherlands, sharing knowledge and wisdom with the Sakyl and throwing feasts and festivals and contests and the like. After the Great Betrayal, and the coming of the Young Races, the gods realized it was time to depart from the hitherlands, and into the West, the Halls of Xelo.
The East, while not always a negative direction, is the home of the Loes Lands, but before the Great Betrayal, the Far East was the origin of the Young Races, until they came west, to Kormond.

Interesting. I do not know, with respect to The World, which direction the Powers first came from, nor, of those that withdrew, which way they went. (Of course, those that stayed are, well, still there!) In Narutanea, it is the North that is negative: the Nameless North, the Desolation of the North, the Dark North. Lots of bad joss up that way. Yet there's always one or two hardy Daine (foolish boys, usually) that wander the trafficless roads up along the shores of the Ocean of Congealed Waters. Even the Hotai don't like going up there. It is the land of the North Witch and somewhere up there is the now sunken lands of the ancient Enemy. There are only three inhabited lands that far north: Mearby-on-Sea (a domed city far out in the Wastes of Weem); Pendar, a quiet land away in the east of the Desolation; the Island of Wark. The islanders have only one weather word in their whole language, chthekhchthack, which seems to roughly translate as tis bloody awful as usual, why do you ask?; there are three colour terms: bgog, which means grey, legeb, which means greyer and dmugdmug, which means bleak as you please. Warkians have two gods and thus two traditional religions, against whom the entire population of the island are staunch and iconoclastic protestants. Warkians heat their cave homes by burning the gnarly smelling blotchy walrus dung and they eat nothing but the reasty and rank meat and the naturally pickled and foul smelling eggs of the Wark Island penguins. By all accounts, the sandy crab meat, if one can manage to withstand the rotten muskrat smell and the embedded bits of sand, is quite palatable in comparison. No one (sane anyway) ever wants to visit Wark Island. Even the Warkians don't want to visit Wark Island! (Pop. c.78 humans; Motto: Wark Island! A Place so Horrid to Live, Who Would Want to Visit!?)

The East is the direction of orientation, and is seen in a positive light: the Bright East, the Dazzling Sunhome. The South and West are also seen as positive: the Lands of the Lady Sun, Sunlands, the Broad Lands, the Land of the Great Empire; the West is known as the Sunset Lands, the Wild Lands, the Greenlands (on account of the Great Northern Forest, which, from the perspective of easterners, and rather contrariwise, lies mostly in the West), the Lands of Marvel, the Lands Beyond All Mountains, the Empire of the Great West.

That perspective rather conflates many many leuyves (miles, more or less) of territory. But you must understand that, for most people of, say, Auntimoany, once you get to the Holy Hills and the borders of the Farther West, geography becomes rather blurry... And, when you get down to it, it's not a whole lot clearer even once you get to the borders of their own home grafdom!

[thaen]

He crouched low behind the boulder, keeping his tattered wings tucked tight against his back and his breath deep and even. A soft glow from down the path, piercing the vegetation, told him that his sight was right, as it always was: the Arcuse Adurna was indeed coming along the path. He looked across the way to see his companion hidden in the top of a large tree, ready to strike on his command. Only a few moments later, the object of the ambush came into view, mounted on a large black beast, which had wings instead of forelegs that were strong enough for both flight and walking, as well as for ripping trees in half. Upon it sat a glowing man, his own wings spread majestically behind him. He glowed with a bright hue, making it difficult to look at him. The assassin felt the power rise within him, but he held back. He tossed a pebble into the underbrush, where it made the softest rustling noise - the signal. There was a blinding darkness, which sucked in the light of the Shining, and a cry of "Lheevyr, now!" as the second assassin continued to suck the light from the target. Lheevyr rose and jumped to the beast, striking it with his fist; the power of his lhai snapped the thing's neck, and it toppled. The Arcuse Adurna had overcome his initial surprise and drawn his sword. Lheevyr struck at him with his dyndys, but the foe dodged them with a speed Lheevyr had not anticipated.
[/i]No! Hyelym was supposed to slow him! Why wasn't it working?![/i]
He once again tapped into his lhai and unleashed a blast of pure energy, throwing the Shining off balance. Lheevyr pounced with feral ferocity, but the foe recovered and knocked him aside. Then he jumped into the air and snatched Hyelym from the tree. He threw him to the ground and severed his head.
Lhyeevyr balked. This wasn't the plan. Then he realized what he had to do. He pulled out a phial from his pouch, and poured its contents along his knife, which immediately began to smoke. The Adurna smiled at him, cruelly, and Lheevyr moved.